I Don't Believe in Love
by Emmypop
Summary: Serena Tsukino is a young, successful divorce lawyer, who has seen too many marriages end to believe in love even when it's right in front of her. Ser x Dar. Rated for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

"How dare you!"

Serena felt herself jump into action in an effort to console her sobbing client, the beautiful actress and model, Mina Aino, who glared angrily across the wooden table at the renowned rock star, and her soon to be ex-husband, Lucas Minoru. Obviously, no one sitting in the room had any desire to be there, listening to the shrill cries of Mina, especially Lucas, who currently sat next to his lawyer, his face the very epitome of sadness and regret. After remaining happily married for ten years, the couple had separated after Mina had caught her rock star husband in bed with the executive producer of his record company. Despite his nonstop apologies, she had fled their Manhattan penthouse and immediately phoned Serena for representation in the divorce proceedings. Now, two people who had once pledged their undying devotion to one another sat at opposing ends across a polished, wooden table, fighting over who would get the beach house and Mercedes Benz.

"You cheated on me!" Mina screamed through anguished cries. "You cheated on me with that whore!"

Serena saw Lucas give a pained flinch at Mina's words. Evidently, the divorce was Mina's idea, although Lucas brought it upon himself through his actions. Despite this, Serena felt her heart go out to the poor man. Strange how two people could seem so perfect for one another; so in love – and then it would all stop. Then again, love is nonexistent. Serena had reached this conclusion around her second week in the firm. Throughout her childhood, college, and graduate school years, she had always been a hopeless romantic who would look at nearly every attractive man on the street as a potential soulmate. She had visited psychics, drank so-called "love potions," and even visited a singles bar or two. However, after presiding at the divorce proceedings of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Yori, a couple firmly lodged in the belief that divorce was the best path for them despite the fact that they were the archetypal "perfect couple," Serena had lost all the belief she had left that true romance existed in the world. Now, as she shifted her eyes between the feuding lovers, she felt her heart sink once again at the thought that she was helping to break apart another marriage.

"Just give her anything she wants," Lucas finally said with a slow voice filled with anguish.

"Oh, no you don't!" retorted Mina. "Don't you dare make me out to be the bad one, here! You're keeping everything!"

"That's fine. Whatever you want, sweetie."

"Don't you dare call me sweetie! I'm getting the Malibu mansion!"

"Fine."

"What! What did you do to it? That's it; you're keeping the mansion! I want nothing to do with that house! I want the Mercedes!"

"Go ahead."

"How dare you!"

Five bickering-filled hours later, the settlement finally straightened out, with Mina having received the Malibu beach house, the BMW, the Mercedes, and half the savings. Lucas received their penthouse - after Mina angrily announced that she could never go back to that horrid place - as well as the other half of the savings. Drained, Serena shuffled out alongside her client.

"Well, I'm glad that's over!" announced Mina triumphantly. "Now I don't have to be tied to that cheating scumbag any longer. Yup, I'm just a single gal who may now focus solely on her career. I'm thinking of starring in my own sitcom about a woman recuperating from a divorce. She's sassy, fun, and independent. What do you think, Serena? Serena?"

"Uh-huh, yeah…" Serena answered monotonously; her head slumped over the receptionist desk. She couldn't wait to get home and empty her brain out in front of the television. "I don't have any other appointments for the rest of the day, right Molly?"

The receptionist looked up from her computer, her eyes filled with pity for the blonde lawyer before her. She slowly shook her head, causing her brown curls to flounce back and forth. "Sorry, Serena, but you still have a meeting with a new client. He's seeking a divorce from his wife and needs advice on how to best go about it."

"Ugh, can't I reschedule?" Serena whined, causing Mina to giggle. Aside from a professional relationship, the two were also good friends, as were Serena and Molly. "I'm so tired and I've got another negotiation tomorrow."

"Sorry," Molly answered. "He's waiting in the East Conference Room right now."

Serena hesitantly said goodbye to Molly and Mina before heading over to meet her client. Of course, Molly had already informed her of this meeting yesterday, but after the draining Mina-Lucas hearing, Serena's mind had become much too muddled to function properly. God help the poor soul looking for consultation next, for Serena's subconscious was now filled with thoughts of sleep and pork buns. When she wasn't practicing law, Serena's next favorite love was food – eating it, that is.

Slowly walking up to the bright, wooden door of the East Conference Room, Serena pondered whether or not to grab a quick drink from the water cooler first. However, she was already five minutes late and as the client was paying a very high price to meet with her, she decided to just get it over with. She heard muffled shuffling behind the closed door, which meant that someone was already inside, waiting. Not bothering to knock, Serena pushed open the door and immediately came face-to-face with a man, and not just any man. He was the powerful, and quite handsome CEO of one of Japan's leading technological industries. He was Darien Shields.

"I was just going to see where you were," said Darien with a smile, stepping back and plopping himself into one of the room's plush, leather armchairs.

"Right, sorry about that," said Serena, sitting down across the table. "I got a little caught up beforehand, with another meeting."

"Oh, of course," responded Darien, knowingly. "It happens to everyone."

Serena smiled. She had to admit that he was very attractive, and had she been in her previous, romantic phase, she would have immediately pinned him down as a potential "soulmate." His blue eyes glinted under the bright lighting of the room, and his dark ebony hair was slightly tousled in a way that pinned him as neat, but not obsessive; busy but not stressed; stylish, but not eccentric – in other words, just perfect. He wore a plain, dark grey suit that appeared extremely expensive. However, despite all this, it was his smile that seemed the most attractive. As a lawyer, Serena had learned long ago to initially and quickly calculate a person based on immediate appearances, and Darien's smile reminded her of that of someone sarcastic and witty, but caring at the same time. All traits which she valued, but alas, Serena's beliefs in romance and soulmates were a thing of the past – as of now, the man before her was merely a client.

"So, let me examine your file for a moment," she said, rustling through her briefcase. Of course, Molly had given her a brief description of Darien and a copy of the prenuptial agreement that both he and his wife had signed at their wedding. From the bio, Serena learned that Darien had been married five years, and was seeking divorce on the grounds of adultery. His wife was the gorgeous supermodel, Beryl, and neither had any children.

"Well," spoke Serena after a few minutes of skimming. "Before we begin, I just need to ask who committed the adultery?"

Darien hesitated before bitterly spitting out the words, "She did."

"I see," responded Serena, glancing over the pre-nup. "Then you have the upper hand, here. According to your agreement, with her having committed adultery after only a five-year marriage, she will receive next to none of your fortune, and less than half of the property that you two share."

Darien merely looked away angrily. Serena could not blame him. Money and property were little consolation compared with the fact that the so-called "love of his life" had slept with another. As with all her other clients, Serena felt herself reach across the table and grasp his hand gently. Upon doing this, she felt a fleeting sensation, almost like a tiny spark of lightning tingling along her fingertips. Of course, it must have been her imagination – or static electricity.

"I know it's not much, but at least you will get to keep almost everything," she said sympathetically, glancing across the table at Darien. "I've had some clients who've lost more than half their wealth, as well as the love of their lives. At least you will be able to start anew, unscathed."

"She cheated on me," Darien spat. "I had told her that I would be working late, but in reality, I had been out buying a surprise for her – it was out anniversary, you know – and then I came home to find her with the cable guy!"

At his final words, Darien pulled his hand from Serena's grasp and massaged his temples in an effort to quell an oncoming headache. The world's youngest and most successful CEO, cowering pathetically under his failure at the one thing that had once seemed most important to him. Helpless, Serena merely watched sympathetically, horrified that yet another would ruthlessly toss away the sacred vows she had made on her wedding day for a fleeting romance. Especially on the anniversary of her marriage! Serena had always admired Beryl for her beauty and her wonderful performances on the catwalk, but after hearing this story, she lost a great amount of respect for the woman.

"I'm sorry," Darien sighed. "I guess I'm still in shock over the whole ordeal. I just can't believe Beryl would do such a thing!"

After offering further consolation, Serena pulled out some more papers and began advising Darien on the proper procedures for his divorce. As the sun began to set, the two continued to work into the night, often allowing casual, friendly conversations to interrupt their meeting.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Sorry for the lack of excitement. I promise a much more exciting chapter(s) to come! Just bear with me for the time being xD. This is my first fanfic, so who knows when the next chapter will come? I don't. However, I am on summer vacay, so hopefully, it won't be too long. PLEASE REVIEW! I hate flamers, but constructive criticism would be just dandy! 3


	2. Chapter 2

Once again, Serena was stuck arriving home at around midnight. Of course, the extra work she had been receiving lately was to be expected, given the article that had been released about a month ago in the _New York Times_, naming Serena Tsukino as "New York's greatest divorce attorney; a woman who will soon revolutionize the process of divorce as we know it." Goodness, how Serena hated that article. Soon after, every businessman, socialite, mob boss, and gold-digger demanded Serena Tsukino, LL.B to represent them, thinking that wealth could fix a faulty pre-nup, or lack thereof. However, Serena cringed at the idea that she would, "add flair and fashion to the world of divorce." Uptown New York had enough romantic drama without her adding to it.

Working as a divorce lawyer had not been Serena's dream job. As a fresh-faced, eager law school graduate, she had wanted to work in criminal law, defending the innocent and putting evil-doers in jail. She had held an image of herself as some type of superhero who would help bring justice to the world. However, law school had not come cheaply and heaping educational debts meant she did not have time to seek her dream job. Instead, she accepted an invitation from one of New York's finest divorce firms. Now, she helped to break up marriages.

As soon as Serena locked her door, she switched on the light and, exhausted, flopped down onto her light pink couch. Her uptown apartment followed the stereotypical fashion common amongst many New York City urbanites: stylish, classy, and messy. In an effort to find the television remote, Serena was forced to finally confront the multiple empty sushi cartons and takeout boxes strewn across her coffee stand. Obviously, her love of eating was amongst the most prominent traits the apartment displayed. In the corner, Serena spotted a black, furry mound, huddled inside a light pink fabric-covered basket. Clearly, Luna had decided not to wait up for her owner tonight.

"…partly cloudy tomorrow with some chance of showers," blared suddenly from the plasma screen television, causing Serena to jump. Apparently, she had found the remote without actually "finding" the remote. Well, at least the television was on now. Hopefully, the volume would not wake Luna, although this was a given, as nothing could wake Luna. When that cat slept, she really slept. Serena chose to tidy up the coffee table first before continuing her search for the evasive remote. Wading through stacks of documents and newspapers, she managed to make her way towards the kitchen. Perhaps she should hire a housekeeper? She certainly had enough money, but something disturbed Serena about an unknown stranger rummaging through her property. While in the kitchen, she grabbed a half-eaten carton of mint chocolate chip ice cream before heading back towards the living room and plopping herself down on the couch right in time to stare at the gorgeous body of none other than Beryl, in a highlight of New York's fashion week. Normally, the sight would not have affected Serena in the slightest, but for some strange reason, she felt a pang of something – although what exactly, she could not name. Perhaps bed would be best at the moment. Putting away the ice cream, Serena scrambled around for the remote and, after a few minutes of searching, finally found it lodged right under her seat cushion. After switching off the television, she flopped back onto the couch to rest a moment before she would then into her pajamas.

. . . . .

The next day, Serena awoke to the shrill ringing of her home telephone, accompanied by Luna hissing at the noisy appliance. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, realizing from the smudges of mascara smeared onto her fists that she had not yet removed yesterday's makeup. As she lifted herself up by her elbows, her neck and shoulder muscles smarted from the couch's hard, cardboard armrests. While attempting to reach a sitting position, she accidentally rolled onto the floor, letting out an irritated grunt. Clambering to her feet, she hurried to the kitchen just in time to hear the answering machine divert the call.

"Hi, you've reached the apartment of Serena Tsukino," sang Serena's recorded voice from the tiny, silver device. "I'm either not here at the moment, or just too busy to speak to you, but at any rate, leave a name, phone number, and message, and I'll call you back later. Have a nice day!"

"Serena!" blared the voice of an evidently irritated Molly. "You've only got a half hour before your first appointment! What's going on? You haven't been late for a week now, and I'd really like it if I did not have to deal with another angry, rich snob so early in the morning. So get up and get your butt down here, pronto! I'll try your cell, then. Bye!"

Serena's eyes widened as she turned toward the digital clock on her end table, which proudly displayed '10:30 AM' in red laser text. She had half an hour to get ready and hitch a subway ride down to the office – an impossible task. Looking down, Serena saw that she still had on her suit and stockings from the day before and her hair and makeup were an absolute mess. However, she immediately began a shortened version of her morning routine and managed to make herself look halfway presentable with a new suit, freshly applied makeup, and her waist-length, blonde hair pulled into a high ponytail. About fifteen minutes later – a time that must have qualified as some sort of world record – she bolted out of the building's revolving door, running to the subway station in her leather pumps. As she shoved her way through the crowded streets of the Big Apple's uptown district, her stomach grumbled angrily. Never has Serena Tsukino missed a meal in her life. However, if she did not make it to the meeting, Molly would be absolutely furious, and the last thing she needed was a feature in the _New York Times_ about how she was murdered by the receptionist.

"I'm here," gasped Serena as she reached the receptionist desk. Although she had slowed to a brisk power-walk upon entering the building, her legs still felt about to collapse. Three-inch heels and running were not an agreeable combination. "Where is the client?"

"You just missed him," answered Molly tersely.

"What? I'm only ten minutes late!"

"I know," Molly said with a giggle. "He rescheduled right after I called your home phone. He said he had an urgent meeting to get to, and that he was sorry. Didn't you notice that I never called your cell? I thought it would serve you right to rush all the way here for nothing. Maybe next time you won't leave me hanging like this again," she added with a wink. "By the way, why didn't you answer the phone if you were home? I know you heard my massage because you're here."

Serena blushed. She knew that Molly was perfectly aware of why she did not answer, and was only doing this to make her feel embarrassed. They had been best friends ever since they were still young high school girls in Japan. When Serena arrived at the law firm, the two met each other once again by complete coincidence, as the firm had recently hired Molly to replace a retired receptionist. Now, Serena was relying on Molly once again, just as she had in high school – not that either minded.

"I," stammered Serena, looking down at the marble surface of the receptionist desk. "I was asleep."

"Of course," answered Molly triumphantly. "I knew it all along. You have to learn to just let things go sometimes. If you keep working till the late night hours, it will only affect your daytime performance. Hey, you want to grab lunch later?"

"I have some more work to do," Serena responded, although upon catching a stern look from Molly, added, "Although I guess I could move some things around and make time."

"Good girl," Molly said with a smile. "Evidently, you know that I know that you haven't had breakfast yet. And I know that without breakfast, it's just a matter of time before Serena Tsukino becomes a rambling pile of post-lawyer mess."

"What would I do without you?" asked Serena as she headed down the hall. All around her, the firm was buzzing with life. After shutting the door to her personal office space, Serena sat down in her leather spin chair. Now that her latest appointment canceled, she had a free hour at her disposal. It had been so long since she had had any leisure time that truthfully, Serena did not know what she was supposed to do with it. As if by providence, the phone on her desk rang just as the thought ran through her mind.

"Hello," said Serena with authority into the receiver. "Serena Tsukino speaking."

"Oh, fancy schmancy lawyer talk, huh?" rang the voice of none other than Serena's friend Raye, the black-haired, violet-eyed woman who ran a trendy massage parlor and meditation shop off Broadway, named "Paradise Mars." However, despite her business motto, "Ease your stress in Paradise," the girl possessed a fiery temper and a sarcastic persona that was difficult to ignore.

"Hi, Raye," answered Serena while browsing some files at the same time.

"Put down whatever you are doing, because I can hear you ruffling the papers, loud and clear," Raye exclaimed. "When you speak to Raye Hino, you must focus entirely on me."

Serena rolled her eyes. Most people found Raye's personality to be somewhat rude and annoying, as had Serena when the two had first met. Although once understood, Raye turned out to be extremely kind and loyal, even if she tended to tease more than the average person.

"You know how busy I am, Raye," responded Serena, continuing to sort through her papers. "We're still getting together tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, whatever," Raye answered dismissively. "Anyways, I have a new shipment of romance candles which, supposedly, have mystical powers that make you irresistible to men. Shall I save you one?"

"Raye, you know I'm not into that kind of stuff anymore," answered Serena, rolling her eyes. As college roommates, she and Raye had bonded over the mutual love of romance and fantasy. However, unlike Serena, Raye was still a believer and had a fetish for love potions, love candles, and the like. Every other night, after locking up her shop, she would dress up and head out to a singles' bar to meet eligible young men to dance with – and sometimes spend the night with as well. Normally, such behavior would be dangerous, but not with Raye. Serena had yet to meet a man who had successfully cheated Raye Hino without receiving a swift kick in the crotch.

"Okay, fine then," said Raye. "Gosh, you were so much more fun before your little anti-romance phase. Now you're just She-Man Amazon Lady – independent, and without want of any man."

"It's not a phase," retorted Serena. "If you knew of half the stories I've heard with all these divorcing couples, you'd lose faith in love too. And don't call me She-Man Amazon Lady!"

"Yeah, whatever Amazon," said Raye before hanging up quickly.

Serena rolled her eyes once again as she hung up the phone. Apparently, she had a new nickname that, come tomorrow, would no doubt make itself known amongst all her other friends as well. As a lawyer, Serena had no trouble retaliating to insults and witticisms, but when it came to Raye, her own stubbornness was no match. The two were so similar, but different at the same time that it was a wonder they would get along at all, let alone become lifelong friends. When the housing committee had initially seen them together, they had anticipated a disaster. Every night, the two would play pranks on one another. Serena still remembered the time she fell asleep in front of the television and awoke to find that her face had become the canvas for a Sharpie mural. It took three days before the black ink had completely faded. Then, there was the brilliant occasion when Serena had tidbits of Raye's diary made into fliers, which she placed strategically around the campus. However, eventually both of them matured and became friends – to the great relief of all who knew them.

Looking at the wooden clock on her desk, Serena realized that it was now 11:30 AM. Putting away her papers, she prepared to meet Molly for their lunch date.

. . . . .

"…so this guy was totally just yelling at me, and I just said, 'Listen, sir. There is nothing I can do about the elevator. You'll just have to take the stairs,'" said Molly, giggling.

Serena and Molly sat under an umbrella, at an outside patio table. After some debate, they had decided to go to a nearby café, "La Patisserie," which was a famous hotspot for celebrities and city natives. All around them sat a multitude of people dressed in chic fashions. Molly pulled a pair of sunglasses out of her bag, with white frames that matched her crisp scarf. Serena giggled, sipping from her espresso. It was moments like these that made her feel as if she were a character in a TV show, and not just one of millions of regular businesspeople. Although she would never wish to live in the public eye, Serena did enjoy the occasional glamorous moment.

"Excuse me," called a voice nearby. Serena wondered who would be talking so loudly that they were even clearly audible over the usual noise pollution – especially with so many Paparazzi nearby, waiting for a celebrity to show up. Actually, now that she thought about it, Serena realized that it was unusual for so many cameras to flash as they were doing now, unless there really was somebody famous in the building at this very moment.

"Excuse me," called the voice again, this time louder. Turning, Serena saw a mound of wavy, red hair, arranged into a stylish hairdo above a heavily made up face that topped off a flawless body. A body that was clad in designer jeans, a periwinkle tank top, and a black, crotchet crop top.

"Hello, Beryl," greeted Serena with a smile. Although she still felt the same emotions toward the model as she had last night, she still kept a professional demeanor. "How may we help you?"

"Are you Serena Tsukino, the divorce lawyer whom my husband, Darien Shields, recently consulted?" asked Beryl, her eyes cold and her face unsmiling.

"That is I," responded Serena.

"Mark my words," hissed Beryl menacingly, leaning in closer to Serena so as to avoid being overheard by the press. "Do not, and I repeat, do not meet with him again. He is not in the right state of mind and this divorce was all a mistake. We were and still are happily married and you will do well not to interfere. I will not allow you to give him the divorce papers."

"There is nothing I can do," answered Serena tersely. She was really beginning to dislike this woman. "I am a divorce lawyer and I make my living off of clients who pay me to help them seek a divorce from their spouses."

At this, Beryl gave a small smile, although her eyes remained as cold as ever.

"Ah, yes," she said, her voice much less menacing this time. "I see what this is about. Well, I am prepared to pay you double whatever you would have charged Darien. All you have to do is say that you will no longer represent him. How does that sound?"

Serena looked into Beryl's mahogany brown eyes. The tiny flecks of ruby red did nothing to add any warmth to the model's face. Although she was absolutely stunning on the exterior, Serena could tell that on the inside, she was completely barren. Her grin was far from welcoming and instead, appeared sinister and condescending. It was a far cry from Darien's charming smile.

"I'm sorry," said Serena, her voice filled with finality. "I'm afraid that would be extremely unethical on my part. There is nothing I can do."

Beryl's eyes seemed to widen, although with surprise or anger, Serena could not deduce. Lifting her head, she merely flipped back the curls that had fallen over her shoulders when she had leaned over. Adjusting her designer purse, she smiled at the paparazzi before leaning back in towards Serena, although a little less closely this time.

"You will regret your decision," she answered, smiling. "I have an extremely broad network of connections and I will absolutely ruin you."

With that, Beryl turned and strutted out of the café terrace, onto the bustling sidewalk, where she hopped onto a waiting limousine and soon melted into traffic.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Well, this one's a bit longer than my last chapter, but I didn't want to just hand you all another boring intro piece. Hope you enjoyed the update. ) I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can.

Next, I would like to give a shout out to all my reviewers from the last chapter. You've really given me encouragement to continue with this story, especially when I was scared that no one would like it. w So, thanks soooo much!

Thanks to:

**LynGreenTea, daisy31, serenity11287, Kana07, Little Ler,** and** Alexandria18.**

And to **Little Ler**: Thanks for telling me about the Anonymous reviews. I didn't realize the thing was disabled, but I've enabled it now. ;)

Thanks again, everyone! .:huggles:.


	3. Chapter 3

Silence – utter silence.

Serena slowly sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. No doubt she will be relying heavily on her concealer this morning to cover up the purple-grey bags beneath her normally bright, blue eyes. Today was the day on which she would be meeting with Darien to draft the formal papers for him to present to Beryl, requesting a divorce. However, yesterday's events had stuck with Serena all night. As immoral as it would be, perhaps she had better not become tangled up on the wrong side of such an influential celebrity. Although Darien had the money, Beryl had the fame. Her previously-made threats were far from empty, as she would certainly have the power to make them come true. This thought had kept Serena tossing and turning all night and even now, two hours before she had to make a decision, she still did not have her solution. Deciding that she would need outside help, Serena picked up the phone on her bedside table.

"Hello, Molly speaking," said a chirping voice on the other end. Serena would never properly learn just how Molly could function at 7:00 AM. Even now, she still possessed her cool, receptionist's demeanor.

"I need help!" whined Serena. "You know how Beryl came up to us yesterday?"

"Yeah," Molly responded, her voice suddenly becoming much less cheerful. "That was such a horrible thing to do. To think that she would make you choose between your profession and your reputation! I swear, if I ever see her again –"

"Well," interrupted Serena. "The thing is, she does have the ability to do whatever she threatened to do. I mean, she's one of the biggest supermodels, ever! I went with Mina to this fashion show once, and I saw Beryl there, and she had to reserve practically half a section just for her posse!"

"Whatever, Serena," said Molly, consolingly. "Forget Beryl. This is your job, we're talking about! At the end of the day, your clients will still know who you are and really, what could Beryl do? I've seen her posse and next to none of them are married, so you will lose no potential clients if she turned against you."

"What about the papers, though?"

"Please, everyone famous is in the papers at least once. This is New York, for goodness sake!"

"So you think I should go through with it?"

"What's more important, a mean, pissed supermodel, or your job?"

"Yeah, thanks Molly."

"That's what I do."

After hanging up the phone, Serena felt relieved. Molly was right. What could Beryl possibly do? Much more confident after her conversation, Serena pulled herself out of bed, took a shower, and got dressed. After grabbing a quick breakfast consisting of a blueberry muffin, she headed out of her apartment to meet Darien. On the subway, she reflected upon her conversation with Molly, further noting the validity of her friend's advice, which further comforted her. Beryl was merely a spoilt witch who liked to frighten people with her celebrity. However, all evidence suggested that there would be no way for her to truly harm Serena. Worrying over her threat would only present her with more credit than she deserved.

"Last stop on Madison. All passengers please depart now."

Hopping off the subway, Serena jauntily walked up the stairs that led out of the station, joining the throngs of fellow New York commuters who were trekking through the busy urban jungle. The sky above was a bright light blue, glowing with beams of sunlight and streaked with lazy clouds. Along the sidewalk, street peddlers screeched noisily, competing with one another in order to sell their cheap wares to nearby tourists. Serena merely ignored the stalls, knowing that most of the items were either fake designer labels that would fall apart within a week, or worthless trinkets that would fall apart within a week. Her patent leather pumps clicked along the concrete. As she began to grow warm from the weather, Serena shrugged off her jacket and slipped on a pair of sunglasses. Personally, she hated wearing suits, but unfortunately, her law firm, as well as many others, required that she did so. As she stepped through the building's spinning door, a great wave of cold air rushed at her. Apparently, the maintenance staff wanted to freeze everyone to death with excessive air conditioning.

"Darien's waiting for you in your office," said Molly, clamping her hand on the phone she had been speaking into in order to hand Serena a beige-colored file. "Here are some more records."

Serena grabbed the envelope and gave a gracious wave to her friend. As she walked up to her office, she contemplated whether or not to tell Darien of Beryl's threat. He certainly deserved to know, but would this complicate the divorce even further? Although she did not wish to think herself selfish, Serena also had to admit that she possessed no desire to anger the supermodel more by making her soon-to-be ex-husband, whom she was still in love with, hold an additional grudge against her. Beryl posed no immediate danger to Serena, but if agitated enough, Serena had no doubt that she would be fully capable of fulfilling her threat. Reaching a decision, she pushed open the door to her office to find Darien Shields standing with his back facing her, looking intently at the line of plaques and newspaper clippings displayed along her wall.

"Hello, Mr. Shields," said Serena, calmly striding to her desk. Darien appeared to jump slightly at her words. Apparently, he had not heard her open the door.

"Mr. Shields? You're making me feel old," he joked. "I thought we agreed last time that you'd call me Darien, Ms. Tsukino."

Serena rolled her eyes and smiled. As she sank into her pink spin chair, she motioned for Darien to sit across from her, in either of the two seats reserved for clients. At her action, the young man promptly strolled over and sat down.

"Well," Serena began tentatively, glancing over the files she had just received from Molly. "After reviewing your pre-nup once again and comparing it to the net worth of both you and Beryl, I must regretfully inform you that you shall only receive $1 million dollars, due to the fact that at the present time, your total income is significantly higher than hers."

"Great," muttered Darien, his eyes clouded over with emotion.

"Well, with her spending history, and taking into account the fact that you make more than twice as much as she does, I'm sure that $1 million will barely be a problem on either side. Both of you will leave this divorce unscathed and will be able to continue with your lives."

"That's the problem!" shouted Darien, rising from his seat. "That witch screwed me over, and now she leaves without a scratch, while I'm left to bear the emotional burdens from her actions. As long as she can keep her precious material items, she will emerge with everything, while I lose what may possibly be my only chance at love and a family."

Upon completing this phrase, Darien broke down, burying his head within his hands and wrenching angrily at his disheveled raven locks. Serena became shocked, watching such a young, powerful, and wealthy man writhe in emotional agony. Any woman would give her own soul to the devil for a mere date with him, and yet here he was, near tears over one person – a person who had completely betrayed him, and yet, still held his heart. Serena shifted uneasily, her own inner conflict over whether or not to tell Darien about Beryl surfacing once more. The man certainly deserved to know that his wife was still in love with him, especially given the fact that he was currently having a mental breakdown in his lawyer's office. Serena had read articles about how CEOs have their midlife crises sooner than average men, due to their hectic and pressured lifestyles. The last thing she needed was to send Darien Shields over the edge. She was concerned with her own career, but not to the point that she would sacrifice another's happiness to save her own skin by keeping such a critical secret.

"Darien," Serena started hesitantly, "There's something –"

"You know what?" interrupted Darien, looking up at her with bloodshot eyes. "I don't need that wench. Even when we are about to be divorced, she still has the power to ruin my life, and do you know why? Because I am giving it to her! I need to go through with this divorce and forget about her. Let her stew in her own life. See if I care."

"Are you sure?" asked Serena. She could tell that Darien was clearly not in the right state of mind to follow his own advice. "I mean, I think you should –"

"Serena," interrupted Darien, sending an unknown feeling through Serena's spine at the sound of hearing him uttering her name. "I know what I am doing, and now I ask you, as my lawyer, to advise me on how to carry all this through as quickly and cleanly as possible."

Serena attempted a few more times to tell Darien about Beryl, but to no avail. The man may have been hurt, but he was still the typical stubborn businessman. The two spent the entire morning reviewing tax files, receipts, and other matters documented during the marriage. As Serena, exhausted, attempted to explain to Darien once again about different future situations involving child support, she heard a loud knock at her door.

"Hey, Serena!" said Molly, pushing the door open and jauntily strolling into the office. "It is now lunchtime and I refuse to let you work through…"

Molly trailed off awkwardly, her cheeks slowly becoming a pale pink at both the realization that her friend was not yet finished, and that fact that she had just made a fool of herself right in front of one of New York's most powerful men.

"I'm so sorry," she said, once she was finally able to move her jaw muscles, which had seemed to become paralyzed with embarrassment. "I didn't know that you weren't done yet."

"It's no problem at all," said Darien, smiling politely. "I wouldn't want to keep Serena from lunch. Perhaps if you two wouldn't mind, I could join you?"

"No, please," said Molly, her cheeks still flaming as she slowly backed out the door. "Do not go to any trouble on my account! You two go to lunch and finish your business. There's a group of people going out in a couple minutes and I can just tag along with them."

Molly immediately shuffled back out the door, closing it hurriedly behind her. Serena could not help but giggle at her friend's knack for getting herself into situations, then getting over-embarrassed about it. Truthfully, Serena would not have minded a third wheel, as the reason she and Darien took so long to conclude their meeting in the first place was because they always seemed to stray into light conversations. However, Molly had most likely already secured alternate lunch plans, due to her popularity within the office. Thus, after cleaning up the scattered files, Serena grabbed the beige envelope and headed out with Darien to "La Patisserie," the very same café she had been to with Molly the day before.

. . . . .

Serena giggled, sipping her chocolate iced latte, while Darien sat, cross-legged, holding a hot cup of plain, black coffee. Surprisingly, neither had brought up the divorce in the least, preferring to spend the appointment on more casual topics. At the current moment, they were discussing the merits of plain vs. flavored coffee.

"Black coffee is just so bitter and simple," argued Serena.

"Not bitter, but real," countered Darien, his nose turned up in a playfully haughty manner. "And not simple, but pure and untouched; when you buy coffee, you're not paying for something coated in sugar and syrup. Why not just buy a milkshake, or smoothie?"

"You are thinking too far into this," said Serena stubbornly, poking her tongue out at him. "When you buy coffee, you are paying to enjoy yourself. Whatever you drink should taste good, not make sense."

"What if making sense is part of what makes the coffee taste good?"

"Then you are a weirdo."

"A weirdo? That is so immature."

Serena laughed at the expression on Darien's face. Apparently, no one else had ever called the man such a childish name before – especially not a fellow professional. Serena slowly set down her latte and grabbed her white linen napkin to dab at the tears of mirth leaking from the corners of her blue eyes. Across the table, Darien's face glowed with laughter, Beryl's influence long forgotten.

Speaking of Beryl –

"Well, well," came the same unforgettable voice Serena still remembered from yesterday. "What do we have here?"

Beryl strolled up behind Darien, causing him to turn around and glare at her sharply. As usual, the supermodel was dressed to the nines; her red hair curled and arranged into a messy bun, with tiny ringlets left to hang loosely around her flawless face. The turquoise halter she wore was made of a silky material that fit her perfectly, with a black beaded strap that ran around her thin neck. Her jeans were embroidered with purple, blue and teal beads that shimmered in the afternoon sunlight. Looking down at the two, she gave a large, albeit false-looking, smile to Darien, and darted an evil glare at Serena.

"So," Beryl started. "Having some casual chat, I presume?"

"What are you doing here, Beryl?" asked Darien harshly. "Our business is of no concern to you."

"Well, assuming she is your divorce lawyer," responded Beryl sharply, pointing a manicured nail at Serena. "This would be my business. Unless, you two were not talking about the divorce."

"Stop being ridiculous, Beryl," Darien replied irritably, assuming a bored and uninterested expression. Judging purely from his countenance, Serena found it difficult to believe that just a couple hours ago he had been sitting in her office, struggling over the emotional roller coaster caused by the woman before him.

"Ridiculous!" responded Beryl, her eyes widening with shock and anger. "Don't you dare call me ridiculous! I was actually just passing by and what should I find but my husband and his divorce lawyer laughing and having a blast on a café patio. Now, what would I be expected to think, hm?"

Beryl ended her phrase with a suggestive raise of her eyebrow. She crossed her arms and jutted her hip out, staring down at Darien. Serena glanced across the table at her client and noticed that his hard expression had softened somewhat with an unknown emotion. Looking back at Beryl's triumphant face, Serena realized what the emotion was – fear. If Darien was caught with another woman before the divorce settlement, Beryl could somehow prove that he had been cheating on her all along, which would not only excuse her $1 million requirement, but may also necessitate higher child support payments from Darien in the future, regardless of who the father will be.

"Beryl, stop being so paranoid and irrational," Darien replied after a slight pause. His face had hardened to its previous, disinterested expression once again. "I know it must be hard for your mind to comprehend, but you were not the perfect wife and your shortcomings were precisely what made me seek this divorce. End of story."

"Fine," responded Beryl coolly, turning to walk away. After taking a few steps, the model pivoted rapidly to stare at Darien and Serena. "But know this, Darien. I will be keeping **my** lawyer up to date with anything I suspect between you and **yours**."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Not a really exciting update, sorry. So far, I guess I've got this pattern rotation of exciting/non-exciting chapters going on. xD I say this because I have an idea for the next chapter that might just make up for the boringosity of this one. Anyways, thank you again for all your support!

Special thanks to my awesome chapter two reviewers:

**Alexandria18, SilverDestiny10191, HermoineCrookshanks101, LynGreenTea, ****mysterious advisor****, Kana07, Little Ler, serenity, daisy31, Roque Cherokee, Kawaii Usako,** and a reviewer who was labeled as 'Anonymous'. ;)

Thanks again to you all! You've really made continuing with this story worth my time .:hugs:.


	4. Chapter 4

After what had been a rather interesting work week, Serena was prepared for a fun and relaxing night out with her friends. Mina had used her celebrity influence to secure the VIP room at "Crystal Tokyo," the trendiest, best-known nightclub in all of New York. The party girl within Serena had long been eager to visit the location, but reservations were limited to only the wealthiest and most influential citizens. In fact, even Mina had had a difficult time securing a table in the past, and was only able to recently because her divorce had made her a regular in tabloids and television interviews, pumping up her fame significantly for the time being.

With the large influx of clients she had been receiving recently, Serena had not had a chance to just hang out in a while, so she was really excited for tonight. Pushing aside a dense layer of business suits, she eventually reached the very back of her closet, where she kept a small number of sequined tops and dress pants especially for nights such as this one. Serena filed through the hangers and pulled out a daring white V-neck top that dipped all the way down to halfway between her cleavage and her bellybutton. The sleeves were translucent white chiffon, cut to resemble kimono sleeves and decorated with tiny, blue sparkles. The neck and bottom hem were decorated with red glitter, causing the entire piece to shimmer even in the dimmest light. After carefully pulling on the top, Serena paired it with a pair of slim-fitting, boot-cut jeans and red leather boots that went all the way up to the base of her kneecaps. Dressed to the nines, she quickly applied her makeup before grabbing her red, white and pink Coach purse and heading out the door.

. . . . .

Music boomed from oversized, high-tech speakers. Multicolored disco lights swirled around an otherwise dark dance floor, illuminating the crowd of sweaty bodies dancing below, their hearts pounding to the throbbing booms of techno drumbeats as their muscles tensed and relaxed in synchronized rhythm. Serena had managed to easily make her way past the oversized bouncers, dressed in sleek Armani suits and designer sunglasses, and into the club. Of course, this was solely due to her connection with Mina, as Serena would have never been able to secure a spot on the guest list at such a popular celebrity hotspot on a Friday night. Carefully maneuvering her way around the bumping and grinding throngs, she spotted her group of friends seated at the bar.

"Serena!" called out Mina, who looked absolutely stunning, as always. A thick coating of mascara and eyeliner accentuated her deep blue eyes, and her long blonde hair was curled and elegantly fashioned into a loose bun, decorated with two red and gold chopsticks. A gorgeous, oriental-styled, red mini-dress and gold heels completed the look. The short hem ended right at mid-thigh, allowing a teasing view of the woman's perfectly toned legs.

"Hey, Amazon!" greeted Raye, clad in a slinky red top with thin straps that revealed practically her entire back and a pair of low rise, black denim jeans. Serena groaned upon hearing the embarrassing nickname.

"What's with the nickname, Raye?" asked Ami Anderson, a young medical student at NYU, who had met Serena while studying abroad for a semester in Japan. Immediately pinning her as a nerd, Serena had been pleasantly surprised when the intellectual woman had proven herself capable of hanging out and having fun, just like any ordinary person. Tonight, as always, she was dressed much more conservatively than the others in a fitted blue t-shirt that bore the letters 'NYU' in silver, a pair of dark blue jeans, and black stiletto-heeled boots. Her short hair was streaked with blue, and topped with a pair of sunglasses decorated with light blue rhinestones.

"Oh, just a little inside joke, eh, lawyer girl?" responded Raye with a wink at Serena.

"Whatever, Raye," answered Serena, rolling her eyes. "Has Molly arrived yet?"

"Here I am!" called out the perky voice, right on cue. "Sorry I'm late, everyone! You won't believe the traffic I was sitting through. I had to park five blocks down and walk all the way here!"

Molly joined the group and plopped down on a bar stool to regain her breath. Her normally frizzy brown hair was now straightened and lightly cascaded down either side of her face. Being ever the sweet character of the bunch, she wore a pink lace tank top, a jean skirt, and pink pumps. Her front bangs were pulled back with a plastic pink hairclip.

"Well, now that everyone's here," said Mina, rising from her stool. "Let's get on into that VIP room!"

Serena eagerly jumped up, along with the rest of the girls. All were more than eager to escape the crowded main floor for their especially reserved and fully serviced private room.

"Sorry, ladies," stated a tall, muscular, and Armani-clad man standing before the VIP entrance. "Room's reserved."

"I know," answered Mina with an eye-roll. "I reserved this room. Mina Aino."

"Sorry, Miss Aino," responded the bouncer, not moving. "We were not able to inform you in time, but there has been a slight change. The room has been especially requested by a highly respected associate of the owner of this nightclub. However, you are free to re-request for another night and your fee will be promptly refunded."

"Listen, buster!" exclaimed Mina angrily, marching right up to the man. "I don't know who you are, but –"

"Well, well, well," came a voice that was becoming all-too-familiar to Serena. Honestly, how was it possible that a month ago, Serena had never even met this person before and now, it seemed like they were crossing paths everywhere?

"Hello, Beryl," responded Serena coolly. "Enjoying the night?"

"Why, I think so," said Beryl with a sly grin that Serena did not like at all. Such an expression could only mean that something had happened to make Beryl happy – something that would undoubtedly bring misfortune upon Serena. As if on cue, Beryl's usual posse approached the door to the VIP room, walking right past the bouncer who stepped aside to let them through. Serena was astonished, although not as much as Mina, who appeared utterly flabbergasted, her mouth gaping open with amazement. Beryl saw the expression and her grin grew even wider.

"Well, I must be going, now," she said, nonchalantly turning towards the door. Looking over her shoulder, she added, "I just booked this room shortly before our arrival. I know it was quite rushed for the club owner, but no big deal. After all, they always let _real_ celebrities get away with things like this."

Serena watched Beryl do a quick snap turn, flipping her wavy red hair, which she was wearing down tonight, and strut right through the door, her slinky emerald dress shimmering under the fluorescent lights of the club. For a few seconds, Serena and her friends just stood before the doorway, absolutely shocked by what had happened.

"Why, that little witch!" exclaimed Mina, running towards the door. Immediately, Serena and Raye grabbed her by the arms. The last thing they needed was for an undercover paparazzi reporter to snap a photo and ruin her career. Besides, when examining the situation with insight, Serena realized that this type of action was more than expected of Beryl. Perhaps now the two were even and Serena would not have to worry about the rabid supermodel stalking her any longer. The only downside to all this was Mina, who still stood staring at the door, a dejected look plastered across her beautiful face.

"I'm sorry, Mina," said Serena apologetically, approaching her friend and embracing her in a hug.

"It's not your fault," answered Mina with a sigh. Serena felt a wet drop through her chiffon sleeve, and released Mina to gaze into her face, now slightly smudged with mascara. Mina slowly averted her gaze, staring instead at the floor.

"Hey, forget Beryl," Ami offered, putting an arm around Mina comfortingly. "She's just a narcissistic, vindictive, and insensitive witch."

"Well, at least I understood part of what you just said," responded Mina, wiping at her eyes and smiling. "Thanks, you guys. Who needs a VIP room, anyway? I have real friends – something that Beryl would never even know."

"Yeah!" everyone answered. Turning their backs to the door, the group marched onto the dance floor. Immediately, Serena lost herself to the beating rhythms of the DJ's tracks, the lights above bathing her in their fluorescent rays. Immediately, she felt her body grow warm as other club-goers continuously bumped against her. Her heart pounded to the drumbeat. Loose strands of hair fell out of her ponytail, framing her face in blonde coils. Across from her, she spotted Raye, who had already found another piece of "man meat", as lean and handsome as all the others before him. Serena rolled her eyes as she watched Raye grind her hips into his groin, his chin resting on her shoulder as he licked her neck seductively.

"I'll give this one three days," Serena thought to herself. "Although if he turns out to be bad in bed, then make it one night."

After dancing continuously for who-knows-how-long, Serena decided she had better take a break soon, or her feet will surely suffer the consequences of her stiletto heels. She could already feel the calluses forming. Besides, a nice martini would not hurt. Pushing out a path among the surrounding figures, Serena made her way over to the bar, a silver structure lit by lines of fluorescent tubing. The silver stools were topped with leather cushions of alternating, bright colors. With a tiny hop, Serena managed to pull herself onto one of the seats. Resting her arms atop the table, she motioned for the bartender, who quickly caught her signal and made his way over. Serena noted that he was about her age, with a chiseled face that ended in a slight cleft chin, and deep blue eyes. Giving him a once-over, she tried not to laugh at his uniform, which consisted of a deep red, velvet vest over a white button-down shirt and black pants – not all too embarrassing, though, had the ensemble not featured a large tie, with fluorescent squares of different colors that glowed under a blacklight that must have been located somewhere near the bar. Serena could not help but think of the accessory as some sort of hypnotic beam, since no matter how hard she tried to look away, it always seemed to draw her gaze right back.

"Let me just start out by saying that I did not pick out the tie," said the bartender, drawing Serena out of her reverie and causing her to blush profusely.

"Sorry," she said with a slight giggle. "And I didn't think you would have, because if you did, you'd be embarrassing bartenders everywhere."

"Wow, really?" he joked, smiling. "I guess I had better bring this up with my superiors, then. I didn't know that I was causing such a worldwide disturbance. I'm Andrew, Andrew Hansford. What can I getcha?"

"A vodka martini, thanks," responded Serena.

"Doing it up old school, I see," Andrew said, grabbing a shiny silver cocktail shaker. "Lemme guess, shaken, not stirred?"

"You got it," said Serena, smiling at the James Bond reference. Coincidentally, James Bond had been what had introduced her to the vodka martini. After watching one of the movies, she had decided to try the drink and, after doing so, had decided to make it her drink for life.

"Coming right up," Andrew announced, grabbing a variety of random bottles and pouring their contents into the shaker. "So, enjoying yourself tonight?"

"Yeah, it's been pretty good," Serena responded. "First time getting away from the office in a while – I'm a lawyer, you see – so enjoying it while I can."

"Awesome," Andrew responded, while pouring her drink into a martini glass. After sliding in a thin coil of lemon rind, he slid the glass across the table. "Here you go."

"Thanks," said Serena, taking the drink. As she took a sip, she spotted Ami across the bar table, which did not surprise her in the least, considering Ami was usually too shy and modest to dance in public, although Serena knew the girl to be just as excellent at dancing as she was at everything else. Holding the stem of her glass firmly, she made her way over.

"Hey, there," Serena said, evidently startling Ami, who gave a slight jump.

"Ummm, hi," answered Ami. "What's up?"

"What's going on?" asked Serena, eyeing Ami carefully. The girl merely looked up at Serena with a blank expression, but Serena definitely noted a slightly nervous, distracted hint to her voice. Gazing steadily into Ami's blue eyes, the blonde lawyer summoned up her professional intuition, which very rarely failed to alert her when something was going on that she did not know about.

"Hey, I'm back."

This time, Serena was the one who jumped at the sound of the male voice behind her. Turning around, she came face-to-face with a pair of grey-blue eyes. It seemed that tonight, she was running into blue-eyed people everywhere! Backing away, Serena gave the man the same once-over glance that she had just given Andrew five minutes ago. He had a thin face that seemed almost effeminate in shape, framed by tousled, strawberry blonde hair. A plain, navy blue t-shirt and boot-cut jeans clothed his thin, yet muscular frame.

"Hello," said the man, holding out a hand to Serena. "I'm Zach. Are you friends with Ami?"

"Zach, this is Serena," said Ami, walking over to him and taking his hand. Looking back at Serena, she added bashfully, "Zach and I just met tonight."

Serena smiled. Ami had always been such a wallflower, never wanting to impose or accidentally embarrass herself, especially around guys that she could potentially have a romantic relationship with. Every time the whole group went clubbing, Ami would just hang out by the bar. Serena always felt guilty about leaving her friend, but Ami would insist that she wanted to come and didn't mind watching. Serena felt happy that her friend had finally found someone.

"Well, I'll just leave you two alone, then," she said, grinning broadly as she made her way to the restrooms. "I need to retouch my makeup, anyway."

As Serena pushed open the bathroom door, she heard quiet sobs coming from one of the stalls, echoing off the empty walls. Immediately, Serena recognized the high-pitched, squeaky hiccups. Making her way over to the stall, she lightly tapped the door.

"Mina?" Serena asked hesitantly. "It's me, Serena."

The bathroom door opened slowly. Serena stepped back, allowing Mina room to walk over to the sinks. Silently, she watched her friend turn on a faucet and wash her face before drying off with a paper towel. Typical Mina, making sure her appearance was perfect before she could even cry to a friend. Immediately, the young starlet burst into tears, running over and hugging Serena as a child hugs its mother.

"Hey, come on," Serena said, while patting Mina's back consolingly. "Is this about Beryl, again? I thought we all agreed that she's not worth our time."

"She's right, though!" wailed Mina, her eyes gushing a new torrent of tears. "I'm a nobody, a one-hit wonder. Do you know at what spot my last two films have debuted? Number fifteen! I can't even make the top ten, and this next film will be no different!"

"Oh come on," whispered Serena softly. Still holding Mina, she made her way over to a nearby hot pink couch and sat the both of them down so that she could look at Mina face-to-face. "You are a great actress and an even better person. All the fame in the world couldn't give Beryl a personality like yours."

"Yeah, right," responded Mina, her voice steadying now to barely a whisper. Serena felt her heart break at the sight of the tiny streams of tears leaking out of her friend's eyes. "Look at me. I can't even make a marriage work out. The jerk had to go and get some from someone else."

"Well, he's an idiot," said Serena, putting a hand on Mina's shoulder. "Look at me. Go on, look me in the eyes. That divorce was his fault, not yours. You have done nothing wrong and if he had failed to see that, then he's a total moron who doesn't deserve you in the first place. Forget Beryl, and forget Lucas."

"Th-thanks, Serena," said Mina with a slight hiccup. "I'm going to put some more makeup back on, and then I'll meet you guys out there, okay?"

"Sure thing," responded Serena with a wink. Getting up, she quickly reapplied some mascara and lip gloss before grabbing the martini she had left on the sink and leaving Mina to reenter the main club area. As she made her way onto the dance floor, Serena caught sight of Beryl and her posse leaving the VIP room. Fueled by a sudden surge of anger, Serena marched up to the redhead.

"You really are something," she said, her voice shaking with rage. "I do my job, which just happens to get in the way of your little plot, and you take it out on my friend, who has done absolutely nothing to you?"

Beryl gave a sinister grin, her eyes glittering with malice. "On the contrary, your friend brought this upon herself. If she weren't such a lackluster actress and a total ditz, then none of this would have happened now, would it?"

"You take that back," said Serena in a low voice, through gritted teeth. "No one insults my friends!"

"I told you not to get in my way," said Beryl nonchalantly, glancing at her manicured fingernails. Suddenly, she pressed her face right near Serena's, looking her squarely in the eyes. "I told you not to get in my way. This is war, and I will make you rue the day you chose to mess with me."

Drawing back, Beryl grinned once more. "And I'm not sorry for what I did. You just tell your friends to stay out of my way too, or else Mina will not be the only one."

At Beryl's words, Serena felt her rage escalate to a point that she felt ready to explode. Before she could even register a single thought, she felt her arm jerk forward robotically, pouring the leftover contents of her martini glass all over Beryl's dress.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Oooh, D-R-A-M-A! Sorry this took so long, everyone. I've been pretty busy over the summer, and sort of had a brain fart over what the chapter was going to be about. I wanted to give you all some real excitement (finally) and add some juice to the plotline. So, enjoy and keep up the reviews! I can't personally thank all the reviewers anymore, because there were just too many for the last chapter and I just don't have the attention span. xD However, I do read each and every one and you all know how much I luv ya! .:hearts:.


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